


Goemon's Job

by thisislegit



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Comedy, Goemon VS Lupin, Happy Ending, Internal Conflict, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:34:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22396369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisislegit/pseuds/thisislegit
Summary: Goemon stayed hunched, his hands tight around his sword as he watched Lupin clutch his stomach and wheeze. “Please leave, Lupin. I will not ask again.”“I’m sure you know this means war,” Lupin wheezed out.
Relationships: Ishikawa Goemon XIII/Arsène Lupin III, Ishikawa Goemon XIII/Jigen Daisuke, Ishikawa Goemon XIII/Jigen Daisuke/Arsène Lupin III/Mine Fujiko
Comments: 16
Kudos: 124





	Goemon's Job

**Author's Note:**

> un betad we die like men, also im love goemon hes a cutie

Goemon sat on one of the more comfortable couches in their shared hotel room. They were in Spain, and he didn’t like the strange smells that came from the restaurants on the streets. Lupin accused him of having no taste for spices, and Goemon didn’t reward him with a retort. It wasn’t his fault Japanese food was superior. At first, he thought they were on another heist together, but he’d been reduced to back up in case things turned sour. He would’ve liked to have more information on what could turn sour, but Lupin remained tight lipped about it. His expression was serious when Goemon tried to prod for answers, and it was rare to see the thief as such, so he stopped asking. Jigen and Fujiko seemed more informed on the topic, and Goemon swallowed back the bit of jealousy that formed from the thought. He was still new to their “expanded partnership”, and he didn’t want to step on any toes.

Yet, he also felt like an outsider at times. Even with a year gone by the feeling hadn’t gone away. He wondered when it would. Maybe it was one of those topics that should be talked about in order to clear the air, but Goemon had his pride, and it was easier to believe he was overthinking things than it was to assume they hadn’t quite accepted him.

Zantetsuken rested on his lap while he stared into space. He should meditate. Clear his mind so that his intrusive thoughts wouldn’t inhibit him in case he was needed but he couldn’t. The door opened, and he recognized Jigen’s angry grumbling from behind him. The sound disturbed the quiet and made the air around him feel less oppressive.

“Goemon? You’re still here?” Jigen sounded surprised to see him.

“I was unaware I was to be somewhere else.”

The clap of Jigen’s shoes were muffled along the carpet. The man never took his shoes off when entering a living space but neither did Lupin or Fujiko. It was what Lupin called “a pet peeve” when having a variety of partners. Goemon doubted he’d ever get used to it, but the irritation that arose the first time he saw it simmered down to a mild annoyance that was easier to ignore.

“Should you not be with Lupin?”

Jigen shook his head. “Got a headache coming on, and I gotta go grocery shopping.”

“I see.”

The two were quiet again. It was easy to be quiet with Jigen. He wasn’t the type of man who needed to fill the space with noise like Lupin which wasn’t always a bad thing. Lupin had a way of drowning out the more negative words Goemon’s mind would start to bubble over with, and he appreciated it, but sometimes Goemon needed silence, and Jigen was a better person to be around for that.

“Hey, Goemon. I got a job for ya.”

“A job?” Goemon turned his head to see Jigen suddenly very close. He couldn’t stop the warmth rushing to his face if he wanted to.

“Yeah. See how it’s 1’o clock right now?”

“Mmhm.”

“I’m going to take a nap. My alarm will go off at 3PM so I can head to the supermarket for their sale. I need you to make sure nothing, and I mean _nothing_ , wakes me up before my alarm goes off. Got it?”

This was a…strange request. “What happens if I fail?”

“If you fail, we don’t have sex for a month.”

Goemon huffed. “I am not Lupin. You can’t threaten me with abstinence.”

“I know, but it’s the only thing I got to threaten you with, so do what you want.” Jigen went to their shared bedroom and shut the door behind him.

He wondered why Jigen would give him such an odd job especially with the threat. Goemon did participate in some of their “play” one on one, or with two. He hadn’t worked up the willpower to try with all three of them, but he was getting there. However, he didn’t need to do any of that. He’d trained his body and mind to go without for so long that when he did participate it was more of a treat than a need. It was _never_ a need.

He let himself sit there for a while longer in silence as a courtesy so that Jigen would have enough time to fall asleep. When he felt enough time had passed, he reached for the remote. Turning on the TV, the volume blasted from the speakers and his finger pressed mute before he recognized his action. Why did he do that? Goemon looked at the bedroom door and heard nothing. Taking a breath, he lowered the volume as quickly as possible until it was barely a muffle in the living room.

Perhaps he was not as immune to the threat as he first suspected.

This was fine.

All he had to do was be quiet for two hours, and Goemon wasn’t a loud person.

The door slammed open, and Lupin’s voice came from the entrance loud as day, “JIGE-“

“SHHHHHH!”

Lupin held up both hands in surrender. “Goemon.”

“Shh!”

Lupin whispered, “Goemon. What’s wrong?”

“Jigen has a headache and is resting. Please do not cause a disturbance,” Goemon whispered back.

“A headache? We don’t have time for that. I need him now.”

Goemon stood up from his spot on the couch and walked over to Lupin. “I’m sure whatever he can do I can also accomplish.”

“That’s cute Goemon, but I actually need Jigen specifically for this.”

His grip tightened for a moment on Zantetsuken. It kind of hurt when his skills weren’t recognized, but Goemon swallowed it down. “What is it that’s so important?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Then it must not be important. Leave if you’re going to make a nuisance of yourself.”

The two were still whisper talking, and Lupin narrowed his eyes. Goemon refused to budge though. He was committed to Jigen’s request, and he wanted to prove he could keep his word. Lupin took steps toward the bedroom, but Goemon held his arm out to keep him from passing.

“You will not disturb Jigen until after he wakes up.”

“Move Goemon.”

“No.”

Lupin glared at him, but he didn’t flinch. He’d known since he met Lupin that the unstoppable force versus an immovable object scenario was how their relationship would always play out when conflict arose. Unfortunately, Lupin’s unstoppable force was like water both slippery and impossible to hold onto unless frozen. Goemon couldn’t freeze Lupin, but he could be faster when needed. So when he saw Lupin open his mouth to yell, the end of his sword sheath met the thief’s stomach and knocked the wind out of him.

Goemon stayed hunched, his hands tight around his sword as he watched Lupin clutch his stomach and wheeze. “Please leave, Lupin. I will not ask again.”

“I’m sure you know _this_ means war,” Lupin wheezed out.

He said nothing in response. Instead, he watched Lupin hobble out of the room and close the door behind him. That might have been a mistake. Checking the time, Goemon saw he had an hour and a half left. Yes, that definitely was a mistake. Lupin could steal anything in a few moments, and this amount of time would be a playground for the thief to get by Goemon’s defenses. Perhaps he should’ve communicated what was at stake if Jigen were to wake up early? Would that have even mattered? Lupin was a pervert, but if the goal was money related he might force Goemon to deal with the consequences of his failure and try to make it up to him later. The look in Lupin’s eyes as he left told Goemon there wasn’t going to be any chances to reconcile this. He’d have to double down.

Goemon went to the bedroom door and peeked inside. The curtains were drawn shut, and Jigen was snoring on top of the blankets. He should take some precautions. He kept his footsteps quiet as he went to the window and locked the panes tightly. He then checked under the bed, the closet, and the side drawers for Lupin or a sign of any bugs. He didn’t find any, but he did find a pair of ear plugs. Holding the small, blue buds in his palm, he eyed Jigen wondering if he should risk it.

Lupin did say this was war, and that meant Goemon needed to have all his bases covered. These little plugs were going to be his last line of defense when things got out of hand. Carefully, Goemon placed one in each of Jigen’s ears making sure they were snug but not uncomfortable. Jigen snuffled for a moment when Goemon pulled his hands back but went back to snoring to his relief. Thank goodness for small miracles.

He went back out and shut the door softly.

“Goemon.”

“Fujiko?” He turned and there she was lounging in an arm chair. “When did you get here?”

“Just now. Why were you leaving the bedroom so quietly? Were you doing something naughty?”

Goemon blushed and awkwardly cleared his throat. She always teased too much. Ah. Wait. Was it just him or were her calves looking a little stubbly? He swore she’d dragged him to the spa for her monthly full body wax two days ago. It could’ve been a bad job, or...

“Sit down, would you? You make me nervous when you stand and talk.”

“I cannot. I have to prevent Lupin from waking Jigen.”

“Eehh? Why would he want to wake up Jigen?” Fujiko stood up to go over to the mini fridge. There were small bottles of alcohol inside no one had touched yet, and she grabbed a box of shochu the group had purchased on a whim the night before.

“He would not tell me.”

“Then, why are you guarding him?”

He looked away, his hand still on his sword as he replied, “Because he asked me to.”

“Aawww, you’re so cute.” Fujiko handed him a small cup with shochu while holding one of her own. “Well, here’s to a successful job. Cheers.”

“Cheers.” Goemon clinked the rims of their cups together.

He pretended he was going to take a sip, but quickly stomped on Fujiko’s foot making her shout. Not wasting a second, he dumped the contents of his cup into her open mouth, hit the brim of her chin hard enough for it to close and held her jaw like that as he pinched the bridge of her nose. There was a struggle with her hitting his arms before she swallowed. Goemon waited until her arms fell limp to her sides and pulled off the mask revealing Lupin’s face.

“How did you know?” Lupin tried giving him the stink eye but the sleeping drug made him appear woozy.

“Perhaps you should shave more often.”

“Damn it. I knew I should’ve worn the stockingsss.”

Goemon watched his entire body go limp in his arms. It wouldn’t be a good idea to keep Lupin in here, so he dragged him outside into the hallway. He then placed the thiefs’ body into the elevator being sure to press the button for every floor above them. There were 16. Doing this didn’t bring him any relief even after he was back in the hotel room and placed the armchair under the door handle. That was too easy. Lupin was going to start bringing out the big guns, and he didn’t know how quiet he could be while handling them.

His feet began to walk him in circles around the room. Goemon couldn’t be proactive about this lest one of his defenses be used against him. Yet, always being reactive to Lupin’s schemes was its own pitfall if he didn’t play his cards correctly. He’d already tried fooling him with a disguise, so what would the thief try next? He wasn’t sure if Lupin actually swallowed the drug, or if he was pretending to be asleep. He also didn’t know the drugs potency. Would it last for ten minutes, an hour, or somewhere in between?

He paced and paced until there was a visible circle in the carpet where his feet had taken him. It didn’t matter how much he tried to predict what Lupin would do next. He couldn’t be prepared for everything.

What was that faint tapping noise?

Oh no.

Jigen’s window!

Goemon opened the bedroom door as quietly as possible and shut it behind him just the same. Tip toeing over to the window, he lifted the curtain and saw a familiar red jacket. Was he unlocking the window from the outside? Was this a distraction? He couldn’t over think it. Goemon moved the curtains aside, and there was Lupin sitting on a balloon with a small hammer and pick. He’d been tapping the window pane to loosen the lock which was almost open.

Huh.

This was actually a little anti-climactic.

Goemon put the lock back into place and watched Lupin yell at him through the glass. He should pop that balloon, but then he’d risk breaking the sound proof barrier this hotel apparently had on their walls. The tapping started up again making Goemon sigh. It would only be a matter of time before Lupin got annoyed enough with him to actually _break_ the window. He needed to pop that balloon. Then he got an idea. He reached into the front of his hakama and pulled out a pin from his belt but wrapped it into his handkerchief so it remained out of sight. He waved the white fabric in front of the window and undid the lock.

Lupin’s gaze was suspicious as he opened the window. “What’s this? Giving up already?”

“I took some time to think while you were knocked out and realized there’s only so much I can do before you catch me off guard.”

“That’s right. I always get what I want.”

“You do. May I help you inside?”

“Yes please! I love having your arms around me~.” Lupin winked at him.

Goemon kept one hand firmly on the window sill and tossed the pin into the balloon. He didn’t expect it to be latex and not fabric because it popped immediately sending Lupin plummeting to the ground with a yell. The swordsman could only watch with his heart caught in his throat thinking about where Lupin would fall only to see him safely land on a tent cover for a shop. He was more relieved to see the thief shaking his fist at him from below, and he closed the window with a smile. He paused and locked it again just in case.

He checked the clock on his phone. He’d been pacing for twenty minutes, so he still had an hour and ten left. The rings on the curtain beam made a loud jingling when he closed them, and he winced with each sound. Goemon held his breath. He listened. Jigen’s snoring greeted him. Another small miracle.

He considered staying in here but that would bring Lupin in here which would leave him at a disadvantage. No, it was best for him to stay in the living room, but he committed to his check. Nothing under the bed. Nothing in the closet or drawers. Jigen was on his side now sleeping on top of the blankets with a bit of drool running down the corner of his lips. Goemon lightly dabbed it away with his handkerchief and returned to the living room shutting the door without so much as a sound.

He decided it would be best for him to sit and wait. He turned the TV off so he could listen for any type of sound. Would Lupin cause a disturbance on the streets or on one of the lower floors? Would he barge in pretending to be the inspector claiming he was going to arrest him? Would he come in another disguise and lie about construction work below then drill a hole through the floor and take the entire bed with Jigen on it while Goemon was none the wiser? Those were only a few of the hundreds of possibilities the thief could think of. Goemon knew his biggest problem was how well Lupin could read him. He couldn’t tell if the first two attempts were tests. If he was going to be misled with the third or the fourth attempt, he didn’t know.

Ten minutes passed when the front door of the hotel room opened. There was some grunting as Lupin forced himself inside. The armchair was heavy. Goemon didn’t move from his spot on the couch. He could let Lupin set his traps and deal with them when they went off. A weight shifted the cushions on the couch, and Goemon peeked with one eye to see Lupin sitting next to him.

“All right, Goemon, we’ll do things your way.”

“This is a trick.”

“No tricks. Look,” Lupin held his arms up and showed both sides of his hands. “When can I talk to Jigen?”

“He told me his alarm clock will go off at 3:15.”

“3:15? Got it.”

They sat together for a little while, Lupin with his arms crossed, and Goemon sitting with his legs crossed and Zantestuken on his lap. Any movement Lupin did brought Goemon’s hard stare. Was he reaching for something? What was he waiting for? Then again, Lupin wasn’t the type to sit still for too long unless he had a plan. The thief tapped his knees, tapped his shoes, looked around the hotel room, fiddled with the remote, and so on. He was always fiddling, always full of energy. Goemon liked that about him. Usually. This time it only made him tense, and maybe that was Lupin’s intention. If he got Goemon high strung enough perhaps anything would set him off and Lupin could get by.

“So you’re just sitting here in silence playing guard dog?”

“I am _not_ playing guard dog.”

Lupin slumped down to rest his elbow on his knee and his cheek in his hand, “Did he threaten you?”

“He did no such thing.”

“Oohh, your ears are turning pink. You’re lying.”

“No they’re-.” Goemon realized what he’d done when he reached up to cover his ears. His ears never turned pink when he lied, but he just revealed himself. Lupin did always beat him at wordplay. He should keep his mouth shut.

“Gotcha. What did he threaten you with? I’ll compensate for the damages.”

Goemon returned his hands to his sword refusing to speak.

“Come on, don’t go all silent samurai on me. Goemon. Goemooon, tell me. I’m sure it’s not a big deal. You’re probably being sensitive again. Besides, Jigen doesn’t come through on his threats anyway unless he’s shooting at you.”

“Whether or not I’ve taken the threat seriously is irrelevant. Jigen asked this of me. He trusts me to do this for him. He trusts my skills unlike y-nn.” Goemon’s grip tightened on his sword. He didn’t mean to let that slip.

Lupin sat eerily quiet for a moment. “What were you going to say?”

“It is nothing. I apologize.”

“If it’s nothing why are you apologizing?”

“Then it is something, and I do not wish to talk about it.” Goemon kept his eyes closed. He was putting himself at risk for failure by not keeping an eye on Lupin, but he found whether or not you were staring the thief in the eye didn’t matter in the long run. Lupin was going to get away with it whenever he could. On top of that, Goemon didn’t want to expose himself. Making himself vulnerable when he was on the job was dangerous. A part of him hated how easy the three of them could make him feel more than he could handle.

The weight on the couch shifted as Lupin stood up. “I’ll be back around 3.”

“I will see you then.”

The thief’s footsteps tapered off, and the hotel room door closed with a click. Goemon lifted a hand towards his lips. Why had he said that? He looked at the clock on the dresser stand. He had thirty minutes left. Hopefully, when Lupin came back he wouldn’t prod Goemon about it. He needed something to get his mind off of things. There was a game application Fujiko placed on his phone so she could add him and get some sort of reward. Animal Crossing or something? He took out his phone, the time appearing on his screen.

That wasn’t right.

Goemon looked at the clocks around the room. They all showed the same time, but his phone was different.

Wait a minute.

All of Lupin’s fiddling. Was he using magnets to change the times? Goemon growled and stood up from his seat. He’d just have to set the clocks back before Lupin returned. He grabbed the one by the TV first and paused. He could set the clocks back to the correct time, or he could do something else. Lupin set them ahead by thirty minutes, which would’ve given the thief enough time to wake up Jigen and do whatever secret thing he had planned. Even as Goemon set the time back to 1:30 on each clock, something wavered in the back of his mind. He told Lupin that Jigen would be awake at 3:15, so why did he set the time forward thirty minutes and not forty five? Did he know Goemon was lying?

Either way, Goemon didn’t have a choice but to wait and see.

He decided to explore the game Fujiko had installed and the features were simple but interesting. Why the animal people would trade materials for things like bugs and fish reminded him of the bartering he saw his uncle engage in in his youth. That could’ve been why Fujiko picked this game to install for him. He didn’t care much for the games Lupin would play, and card games only held his interest for so long. Before he knew it, thirty minutes had passed and Lupin returned to the hotel room as boisterous as ever.

“You’re here early,” Goemon put his phone away.

“Whaat? No. My clock says three on the nose.”

“Yet all the clocks in here read two.”

Lupin didn’t trip over his own feet. He didn’t bluster about for excuses or deny what Goemon said. He also didn’t seem angry, and that was the most concerning part of his reaction. Goemon held onto his sword ready to move at the slightest shift that something was wrong, because something was very wrong and he couldn’t figure out what.

“So, you figured it out. How?”

“My phone is on Japan time.”

“You charged it.”

“When I remember to, yes.” He narrowed his eyes as he got off the couch. Lupin was too calm. This was a trap. What did he do that Goemon didn’t see?

“But you didn’t see the wires?”

“Wires?”

The clock went a minute over two and Goemon heard something snap. He tried pulling out his sword but felt resistance. What? Closing his eyes, he focused on breathing. First he needed to calm down his racing heart, second slowly open his eyes, and third was to gently exhale through his lips as he took in the situation. There were wires nearly invisible to the naked eye that came from every clock in the room. Lupin had his full body pressed into the wall by the door.

“Lupin. _What are these_?”

“I knew you’d see through all my old tricks, so I made a new one. Here, I’ll make it fair.” He tossed a piece of paper that landed in front of Goemon on the couch. “All of these wires are attached to tiny speakers that make a lot of noise. If you want to disable them, you’ll have to cut each one in the order on the paper. Cut more than one at the same time and the speakers will turn on. Cut them out of order, ya know.”

“If that’s the case then why not trip one of these yourself, and why are you sliding along the wall like that?”

“Ah well, these wires are also really strong and sharp. If I used regular string you’d be able to cut them all without setting the speakers off, and I like this jacket too much to tear it. Plus, it gives us both a challenge. Will I get to the room before you get free, or will you wake up Jigen first?”

Goemon looked at the diagram and cut the first wire nearest his hand. “What about I stop you before either of us wake Jigen up?”

“Impossible.” Lupin slid further along the wall. “I’ve thought of everything.”

“So it appears.”

Each time Lupin slid a little further, Goemon managed to cut another wire. He tried to pace the cuts while watching Lupin’s shoes move along the carpet. A few centimeters, glance down at the diagram and cut, a few more centimeters, another glance, another cut. Why were there so many of these damn things? He shouldn’t have closed his eyes while Lupin sat by him earlier, but these weren’t the consequences he was expecting.

After what seemed like an eternity, Goemon had enough space to move his arms freely, but there were still wires preventing him from leaping at Lupin, and the thief was at the bedroom door.

Lupin tried the handle and snorted. “You locked it from the inside before closing it.”

“I try to cover my bases.” He cut another wire.

“What did that buy you? Another ten seconds?”

“Ten more seconds I need to stop you.”

Lupin pulled a hairpin from his pocket and started to fiddle with the lock one handed. “You’re a hundred years too early to do that.”

Goemon cut another wire, and another, and they started to seem endless as he watched Lupin pick the lock. There was no telling if he’d make it in time. Doubt began to eat away at him. Maybe his skills weren’t enough. He couldn’t even accomplish what Jigen asked him to do. It made sense that Lupin would bring him along the trip as an accessory instead of giving him a real job. He cut through the last wire as Lupin opened the door. No helping it then. He rushed in after Lupin but froze when he got in the doorway.

Lupin stood by the bed with his hands on his watch. “Look up.”

He did, and there was balloon floating above the bed. The color of it matched the ceiling. “When did you put that in here?”

“When you opened the window to pop my balloon. It takes a while to inflate, so it was easy to hide.”

“Am I to assume there’s a speaker inside there as well.”

“I did tell you I thought of everything.” Lupin’s wrist moved as if he were about to turn his watch.

“Wait.”

“Come on, Goemon. There’s nothing wrong with losing here and there.”

Goemon gripped Zantetsuken, his arms shaking from frustration before his shoulders slumped. “Fine.”

Lupin grinned, but his smile faltered when Goemon turned his back on him. “Woah, hey, where are you going?”

“Back to Japan.”

“What? Why?”

“Why. Why?” Goemon glared at him from over his shoulder. “You refuse to tell me what we’ve come here to steal, reduced me to sitting on the sidelines, and then proceed to make a fool of me when Jigen asked me to do one thing for him. You’ve made it loud and clear that you don’t trust my abilities and me. Like you said, I’ve failed. What is the point of staying somewhere when I am unneeded? When I’m useless?” He was halfway out of the door when he felt a hand grab his arm.

“That’s not true.”

“Then why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?”

“I,” Lupin fiddled with Goemon’s sleeve as his gaze darted around the room. Then he stared at Goemon, his expression honest, and that did something weird to Goemon’s stomach. “Goemon, I trust you with my life. I know I said I wanted you to hang back in case something went wrong, and that was true, but I mainly wanted you to come because I wanted to spend time with you.”

“…you did?”

“Yeah. We could take care of this job in a few minutes, and maybe I didn’t need to call you, but I wanted to see you. And I always get what I want.”

“You say that so matter of factly.”

“Cause I mean it.” Lupin shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked at the carpet. “And I do trust your skills. I trust you enough that if anything goes wrong, you’d be there whether or not I gave you a role. We all do. We’re partners.”

Goemon slid Zantetsuken into the strap on his pants and nodded. Trying to convince himself of that and hearing it come from Lupin were like night and day. It didn’t fix everything, nor did it make all of his fears go away when he questioned their relationship. There were still going to be the doubts he’d do his best to meditate away, but it was nice to clear the air for the moment. Swallowing his embarrassment, Goemon pulled Lupin into a hug.

“Aawww, ya big softie.” Lupin moved so the top of his head butted under Goemon’s chin. “Don’t be afraid to talk to us when you feel like this, okay? We’ll listen.”

“I know.” Goemon leaned back to fiddle with Lupin’s jacket lapel. “Thank you for allowing me to be vulnerable.”

“You can be as vulnerable as you want around me, Goemon-chan~.”

“Know that I’ve taken your words to heart.” With his free hand he tapped the end of his sword pushing it the rest of the way into his sheath. Lupin’s watch fell to the ground into several pieces. “And I apologize for this.”

He squeezed Lupins’ tie sending a large cloud of pink gas into the air.

“Goemon, you son of a bitch!” Lupin angrily gripped Goemon’s wrist, but both of their grips began to falter. “When did you-.”

“I was listening when,” Goemon yawned, “you were talking to Fujiko about the guards.”

“You won’t….wake up…before me…” Lupin began to slump to the floor.

Goemon followed him down, his eyes growing heavy as he said, “We’ll...see…”

Several more seconds passed until everything went black.

* * *

He woke up to someone poking his cheek and tried batting away the hand to no avail. He blinked once. Twice. Next thing he knew, he shot up to rest his hands on the floor and look around. He was still in the bedroom, and Jigen was crouched on the ground next to him.

“What time is it?”

“My alarm went off two minutes ago. Wanna tell me why you’re sleeping on top of Lupin?”

He did it. He won. Goemon must’ve been smiling because Jigen smiled back at him. There was a snort and a huff from below that made Goemon move to a free spot on the floor. He then cleared his throat. “Jigen. I’ve accomplished the task you set out for me.”

“I can see. Thanks for keeping Lupin off my back.”

“Wait. Did you know he was coming to get you?”

Jigen reached into his jacket and handed him a photo. “This was our target.”

The picture was of a pair of bejeweled women’s panties, and Goemon’s entire face warmed with a blush.

“The jewels on there are worth 80 mil, but Fujiko promised the idiot she’d dance in them for him if he nicked them. The safe has a target that pops up once every ten years, and you have a three second window to hit it and break the lock sometime between one and three in the afternoon. The entire building has pressure censure floors so only the owner could get inside without triggering the alarm. I would’ve had to snipe the safe’s target, so Lupin could float down and grab it.”

“No wonder he refused to inform me.” Goemon handed the picture back. That also explained all the balloons. “It seems as though Fujiko will have to wait another ten years for the chance to gain such lingerie.”

“Don’t worry, her breasts will be all saggy by then. She’ll be too busy fussing with bra shopping.” Jigen grabbed Goemon’s hand and helped him onto his feet. “So, elephant in the room, do I want to know what happened for you two to end up like this?”

“I am sure Lupin will complain about it later.”

The two turned to stare at the thief snoring on the ground with drool sliding down the corner of his lips. Jigen shook his head and popped a cigarette between his lips. Goemon felt a little guilty. He hadn’t meant to manipulate Lupin at the end like that, but he did mean what he said. He hoped his partner wouldn’t be too angry at him when he woke up.

“Goemon.”

“Hm?”

“What do you want for a reward?”

“Reward? I do not recall you promising me such a thing.”

Jigen blew a few rings of smoke. “I didn’t, but it was kind of mean to threaten you like that for this kind of job. I know how persistent he can get, and you probably had to do a lot. Tell me what you want. Anything goes.”

Goemon opened his mouth to deny needing such a thing, but he stopped himself. There was one thing he wanted, however, he was unsure on how to ask for it. Should he be forward or subtle? Could he be subtle? He had been denying himself many things recently, maybe, this time, he could give in. Maybe being vulnerable would help him feel less like an outsider in this relationship he was still learning to navigate. What did he have to lose?

He cleared his throat and pointedly looked away as he said, “I would like the opposite of what I was threatened with.”

“Huh?” Jigen tipped his hat back. The more he stared at Goemon, the redder he became. “Ooohh. Goemon, you know I do still have to go the supermarket.”

“I apologize. That was inappropriate of me to request such a thing.”

“No, no, no, don’t back track. I don’t mind ordering room service. Come on, let’s get this guy on the couch. I don’t want him waking up to a free show after the trouble he put me through this morning.”

Goemon grabbed Lupin’s legs, while Jigen hooked his hands under his armpits. After placing the thief on the couch, the gunman ushered him back into the bedroom. He watched Jigen put his hat on the doorknob outside and swallowed against the dryness in his throat. Although, he wasn’t needed it was nice to feel wanted. Jigen must’ve sensed his nervousness, because he grinned at the swordsman and exaggerated slowly closing and locking the door with a _snickt_.

**Author's Note:**

> since this was from goemon's POV, i will explain what happened real quick from lupins pov
> 
> step 1, dress up as fujiko and set up the tiny speakers  
> step 2, get goemon to open the bedroom window  
> step 3, set up the wires during the "truce" talk
> 
> he had all intentions to "fail" at incapacitating goemon from the get go, he just didnt think goemon was an eavesdropper but that file has been UpdatedTM


End file.
